French Alps - fashion, fairy tales and Mont Blanc

Around 140 ski resorts, more than 8,000 kilometers of slopes, the highest peaks in Europe - and yet the French Alps seem to be more a source of national pride than an international tourism industry; the jet set flocks to Courchevel, Méribel and Megève as soon as the first snow falls - but only those from Paris.

Fashion flair in the French Alps

It's no wonder that "Le Coucou" in Méribel resembles an excursion from the capital's fashion scene to the mountains: Patrick Pariente, co-founder of the Naf Naf brand, is responsible for the hotel, while designer Pierre Yovanovitch, who used to work with Pierre Cardin, has taken on the design; lampshades are reminiscent of ice cubes, coat hooks of owls and armchairs of fairy-tale characters. Everything appears playful and opulent, but never vulgar. Four adjoining houses with pointed gables form an interlocking castle nestled on a slope that could have come from the fantasy workshop of the Japanese Ghibli studios. The lift to the slopes is right next door; in the evening, winter sports enthusiasts replenish their energy levels in the "Beefbar".

Design meets nature

Things are a little quieter, wildly romantic, but just as tasteful 80 kilometers away at "Le Chalet" in Megève, the brainchild of luxury hotel mogul Arnaud Zannier. Outside the snow blows cold in your face, inside the fireplace warms your feet. The fire illuminates the rustic interior: beamed ceiling, floorboards, roughly plastered walls. The three luxury cabins offer space for twelve rooms and suites - all of which exude the furnishings of a very design-conscious lumberjack dynasty with a penchant for natural tones; a perfect way to relax the senses after a power day on the slopes, with Mont Blanc in sight. On a clear day, guests at the "Chalet" can study the mightiest rock in the Alps first thing in the morning, with a cup of breakfast coffee in their hand and a croissant on their plate ...